xXx: The Set
by VST
Summary: When Xander Cage is offered big money to assist a company with its problem, he ends up with more than he bargained for.
1. Chapter 1

**xXx: The Set  
**By VST

**_Summary: _**_When Xander Cage is offered big money to assist a company with its problem, he ends up with more than he bargained for._

**_Disclaimer: _**_This story is a work of fiction, written entirely for fun and not for profit. This interpretation of the world of Xander Cage, xXx, is entirely my own. xXx and any and all of its various components remain the property of their respective owners._

* * *

Chapter 1:

While in Northern Italy to participate in a cross country motorbike race, Xander Cage received a sealed envelope under the door of his hotel room. Thinking it might be from a female admirer, he picked it up with a smile only to grow suspicious when he saw his name actually typed on the front of the envelope. Curious, he opened it and read:

_Mr. Cage,_

_If the information I've received about you is correct, my company is in need of someone with your particular skills for an important project. The project is completely aboveboard but, due to the nature of our business, it must be kept hush-hush until completed. We anticipate the work taking one to two days of planning followed by a week to ten days for the actual execution. Your fee for the work will be $50,000 American or we can arrange for equivalent payment in euros, if you prefer._

_For reasons of security, I cannot divulge any additional information without your agreement not to disclose anything about the project to anyone. Please call me at the number below to arrange a meeting where I will fill you in on the details after you've signed the nondisclosure form._

_Sincerely,_

_R. Paccone_

_P.S. One item I'll add is that Signorina Francini has agreed to participate in the project._

Xander had never heard of Mr. Paccone and didn't recall knowing any Francinis. That didn't bother him as much as the mysterious tone of the note, with no company name or address given. No matter how "aboveboard" the writer claimed, he didn't relish the thought of participating in anything even vaguely illegal and ending up as a long-term guest of the Italian authorities. He crunched the letter into a ball and was about to toss it in the trash when he noticed the corner of something else in the envelope on the table before him. Setting down the crumpled letter, he tipped the envelope sideways only to see that small corner was actually part of a photograph.

It was a headshot of a smiling young woman looking back over her shoulder with what looked like more than a hint of mischief in her eyes. Xander almost suspected that it was a glamour shot from one of those ubiquitous mall studios in the United States, but it didn't look posed as such photos usually do. In addition, she wasn't lit up with strange, soft lights or coated with the makeup so common to such photos. No, this woman looked quite natural in the photo, with only minimal makeup if any at all. As he studied it, he soon realized that she even looked vaguely familiar.

Smoothing out the letter, he reread it several times without discovering any more information. Minutes later, intrigued, he was dialing the phone.

~xXx~

It was the following Monday after the conclusion of the race the day before when Xander Cage walked through the doors of an old warehouse-like building on the outskirts of Milan. The faded and peeling sign outside said Paccone Compagnias.

After being allowed into the building by a rather elderly guard, he was escorted to a neat and modern reception desk that was in stark contrast to the building's exterior. The pretty young receptionist smiled as he approached.

"Hi, I'm Xander Cage. I got an invite from Mr. R. Paccone himself."

"Of course, Mr. Cage," she said in English with a heavy Italian accent. "Signore Paccone is expecting you. Please have a seat and he'll be with you in a moment. May I, ah, offer you anything?" She batted long lashes at him several times as she swiped a strand of dark red hair from out of her face and smiled at him.

Xander politely declined with a smile. He was about to take a seat when he caught her still looking at him, smiling. She quickly looked down. Going back up to the desk, he said, "On second thought, maybe dinner later?"

"Maybe," she replied, handing a card across to him. He saw that she'd already written her name and number on the back. He was about to speak when the intercom on her desk buzzed.

"Mr. Cage, Signore Paccone will see you now. Please go on in."

~xXx~

Signore Riccardo Paccone, a somewhat heavy-set man in his mid 50s, and a lawyer-type in an expensive suit, greeted Xander in a small, nondescript room. "Mr. Cage, thank you for coming. Before we go any further and tell you about our project, we need you to sign a nondisclosure agreement. What it does—"

"I'm familiar with them," interrupted Xander, also knowing that such forms were not binding with respect to the authorities if they pertained to illegal activities. "Let me read it and sign so we can quit wasting time."

The attorney nodded as he saw Xander actually reading the form. When Cage was done, the man handed him an expensive pen and then indicated several places for him to initial and sign.

"Excellent! Excellent," said Signore Paccone. "Now, let's go on into the building where you can see what we do."

The room they entered had a number of movie posters on the wall. They appeared to be low-budget affairs with an attempt to make them look sexy as their common selling point. Xander's eye quickly caught the R. Paccone Producciones name on each poster.

"Our new project stars Adelina Francini, the up-and-coming Italian actress. You know of her?"

"I might recognize her face," said Xander, noncommittally.

"We have filming underway in a private little farmhouse in France at the moment—

"Wait, it's not a porno, is it?"

"Mr. Cage! R. Paccone Producciones does not make cheap pornography!"

"So you make high-class pornos and call them independent art films?"

Paccone stared at Xander for a moment before chuckling. "Many of our films have nudity and some have elements of sex, which you uptight Americans might call pornography, but, in truth, we really consider our works as art. And, despite significant monetary incentives, Signorina Adelina Francini has yet to grace the silver screen with her complete assets, much to the disappointment of her growing fanbase."

"So what do you need?"

"We are having serious problems with a stunt in a couple of scenes in the film. That's where you come in."

"You're looking for a stuntman? You could have just said so. I've done special stunt work for a few movies but I don't do the traditional stuff. I can give you some names of people who do that type of work."

"Oh, no, Mr. Cage. Your past work and interest was what attracted our attention, but we aren't looking for you to do stunts. No, this is a much different issue. We want you to show us how to do the scene. You see, there is a mystical element in this movie, requiring a couple of scenes where Signorina Francini must appear to be floating in the air."

"That's not that hard these days. Can't say I'm a fan of it, but with the advances in that computer graphics stuff, it would actually be pretty easy."

"It's harder than you think, particularly when the top CGI firms won't give you the time of day. R. Paccone Producciones has a good reputation in the Italian film world, but we're quite small compared to many and we've never needed their services before. Therefore, one of them said they might be able to save a spot for us in three years or so, while the others wouldn't even offer that much."

"Sounds like a _brilliant_ marketing strategy if their interested in growing their businesses," replied Xander with a shake of his head.

"Indeed," agreed Paccone, turning to an aide."Luciano?"

His assistant continued as Paccone took a drink. "Sir, we've already filmed one of the scenes twice on set with a harness and wires and then once more in front of a green screen with a firm that does some CGI work. None of it looked real."

Paccone frowned. "Not look real? That's putting it mildly. The test audience reactions have actually been quite harsh. When we filmed it on set, it was far too obvious that she was being supported by wires, ruining the 'magical' quality we're seeking. The attempt using the available CGI firm was equally unconvincing. Now, we're at risk of being forced to rewrite the movie or even cancel it. Mr. Cage, that can't happen. This is our biggest budget film, ever." Taking Xander aside, he said in a forceful whisper, "My production firm can't take the financial hit this would mean to us, and if it goes under, my credit is ruined and my other businesses will probably go under, too. Chances are, I'd be out of business in a month. Therefore, I told my people to find me answers or we'd all be out on the street."

Returning to a normal voice, Paccone continued, telling how one of his studio execs remembered seeing a titillating movie opening with one of the sex kittens from the 1960s that featured some "weightless" shots. Research showed that it was filmed from above with the actress on plexiglass, so they tried that, too.

"It seems that people generally ignored the reflections on the plexiglass in the 1960s if one was trying their best to glimpse the young lady's goodies, but that doesn't work with the modern audience, particularly when Signorina Francini refuses to go even a bit beyond her contract and strip. She's trying to save her dignity at the expense of my company and she won't negotiate a new nudity clause."

_Smart lady_, thought Xander. "So where does that leave you?"

"Fortunately, one of our younger assistants recalled a beautiful but rather buxom young model/actress who did some "weightless" shots for one of the swimsuit mags."

"Gotcha," said Xander, with a nod, recalling reading about it for its technical aspects at the time and later catching the video. He'd even talked to people at several air transport firms about doing a similar stunt with some friends soon thereafter, but had ended up skipping on the idea due to the cost. "So you want to do something like that?"

"Exactly. The complication is that it needs to look like it's taking place in two specific rooms. We want to build that part of the set in a plane for the first, take it up to film, come back down and replace the set, and take the plane back up for that one."

"Sounds like a whole lot of trouble and expense to me."

"It is," agreed Paccone, "but if it's what it takes to save my company, I'll do it."

~xXx~


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Xander did some refresher research, made some calls, and negotiated a new deal before agreeing to take the gig. He showed Mr. Paccone that it was going to take a lot more time and effort than the man had originally suggested. As a result, Xander would be making a great deal more than originally proposed. He required a third up front, payment for the second third after the first weightless shoot, and the final payment after the second.

He studied the dimensioned plans, the photos, and the videos of both sets and then went to work with a CAD expert who created a 3-D model of the chosen plane's interior and the sets. The first set would be produced in Marseilles to match the interior of the farmhouse less than 100 kilometers away where most of the film was being shot. After it was installed on the plane, Xander, Signorina Francini, the director, the videographer, and the sound and lighting technicians would go up in the plane, with hair, makeup, and a few other specialties strapped in up front for their skills between takes.

Filming of the critical scene would take place high over the Mediterranean Sea on the flight from Marseilles to Milan. While in the air, they would do a series of about 20 to 30 parabolic dips to film the young actress floating in the space. If all went well and she wasn't sick as a dog from the repeated changes between gravity, zero-gravity, and back, or battered and bruised as gravity caught up to her and attempted to punish her for defying it, some of the shots could be spliced together to get the scene they needed without wires, CGI, plexiglass, or distracting nudity involved.

In Milan, they would install the second set and then film in the same manner on the way back to Marseilles, where the final production shots would be made. Xander would receive his final payment at the airport and be free to go on his way.

With the commercial 727 being too small and not available anyway, the plane Paccone's team suggested to use was a Lockheed L-100, the civilian version of C-130 Hercules, but Xander quickly discovered that there were several problems that made it unsuitable for their purposes. Numerous calls later and follow-up intervention by Mr. Paccone and a representative of the Italian government, an Airbus A300-600ST, the Beluga, was lined up for a short term lease. The plane wasn't rated for the maneuvers but when the engineers at the European firm learned how lightly loaded the plane would be, they agreed that it would be fine. The biggest hang-up was when Xander saw the price tag; he wondered why Paccone would be willing to spend so much. The movie would never make enough at the box office to justify the cost. However, Paccone pooh-poohed Xander's objections, stating that even a loss was better than scrapping the film altogether and growled at Xander to leave the concerns about cost to him.

From there, plans were finalized and early one morning three weeks later, Xander Cage was dropped off with a kiss at the airport by a certain red-headed receptionist. A short time later, he was on a plane to Marseilles.

~xXx~

After checking in through customs, Xander was escorted across the French airport to a hangar where the set was being installed in the Beluga.

"Everything's modular as your team required," said Monsieur Faucheux, the local project supervisor in charge of getting the set on the plane, as he showed Xander around. "The set supplier used metal studs to support the gypsum board. They're very lightweight and have plenty of strength and stiffness to keep everything together and looking good without much deflection even under the changes in gravity that you have planned.

"The set is modular, built in pieces that are easily carried by two people, and they're bolted together with light bolts with wing nuts. It takes three days to get it all in, assembled, joints taped, and finish painted, but the crew can take it all down in a matter of a couple of hours once you're done with it. No need to be careful then," he laughed. Pointing to a couple of his workers, he added, "They're doing the final work on the joints today, painting tonight, and it will be ready for you day after tomorrow.

"The furniture is screwed in place, and most of the props on the set are epoxied down; you won't have to worry about them floating away when the plane takes its dive. We've installed velcro for the pieces you specified so the star can set things down without the velcro being seen or the items floating away.

"We've installed the seats you wanted for your production crew and the padding and safety netting to protect your star. Still, you'll have to snag her and get her secured before the plane pulls out or there's a good chance she'll get hurt and this will have all been a waste."

Xander nodded, wondering if Signorina Francini would be able to act the scene without losing her cookies. A great deal depended on that.

Faucheux continued, "There are four shop vacs with long hoses that can reach anywhere in the set area for emergency cleanup purposes, and, over here, a station with cleaning supplies in case you need them. You shouldn't need them, but just in case, we've put a toolbox in here with everything you could possibly need in case you need to do minor repairs on the set."

After looking at everything carefully and becoming satisfied that it all met their specifications, Xander thanked Monsieur Faucheux and then went to the rental counter to pick up the car reserved for him by R. Paccone Producciones. He shook his head sadly at the choice, and then switched to a Jag convertible.

"Monsieur, it costs four times as much," said the surprised clerk. "Will the firm authorize this?"

Xander waved off her objection. "It's for two days and I want to enjoy my time in your lovely country. I'll pay the difference out of my own account. After all, you only live once; why not make the most of it?"

She smiled, nodding. "Certainly, monsieur. Initial there and there, sign there...excellent. Here are the keys. Enjoy your trip."

~xXx~


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Xander was pleased. Assuming the touch-ups were completed as he expected, the set being installed in the plane was a perfect match for the farmhouse, and Signorina Francini was every bit as delightful in person as she had first appeared in the photo. That she was fluent in both English and French with just a hint of her native Italian accent added to her charm.

"Oh, yes, Mr. Cage—"

"Please, call me Xander."

"Yes, Xander. And call me Adelina. I love roller coasters, and I've never gotten sick on one. I've parachuted once, and, originally being from a small town between Turin and Milan, I've been skiing, including the fun slopes, more times than I can count. Now, can you let me down or do you have anything else to show me."

Looking to the director, who sighed loudly and gave a bored nod, Xander took her hands and turned to the rig operator. "Lower away. Gently." Turning back to Signorina Francini, he added, "I think you've got it. As long as you do that on the plane, the director will be quite happy, if he can be happy about anything."

She laughed before leaning in to him, where she whispered, "Doubtful. He hasn't been happy with me since I refused to sleep with him. Then, when I refused to add the nude scene..."

"A girl's got to have standards," agreed Xander, leading her to laugh lightly with a twinkle in her eye.

The director started speaking loudly to everyone on the set. Xander understood some Italian, but Adelina quickly conveyed the gist of his message. "We film from 8 AM to 2 PM tomorrow. The short crew, those of us assigned to be on the plane, then return to Marseilles for our flight the next morning, while the rest start disassembling the set or are dismissed. Speaking of returning to Marseilles, Matteo said you have a convertible? Then I hope you don't mind if I ride with you."

~xXx~

When they pulled up to the front of the hotel in Marseilles early the next evening, Adelina said, "Thank you. That was exhilarating!" She gave him a polite kiss on the cheek and a grateful smile before pointing the doorman to her bag and entering the hotel while Xander dealt with the valet. She didn't come down for dinner that evening but was up bright and early the next morning, appearing next to him as he waited for the valet to come back with the car. Smiling, she got in the front seat with him for the ride to the airport.

Later that morning, the plane's captain came on the intercom and said, "We're at altitude and ready to make dip number zero, our test drop, when the green light comes on. Everyone except Mr. Cage is to stay strapped in for this one. Like I said, it's a test, for all of us; he's going to make sure this works right and we're going to see how our bodies adjust to the changes we're going to be experiencing. Just remember to keep that paper bag you were given close, and, if you feel the urge, use it. If you don't, you'll get to clean up after yourself and scrub the toilets when we land!"

When the light turned green, Xander undid the buckle on his belt to get out of his seat. As the plane dived, he felt virtual weightlessness as he fell within the confines of the plane. Adelina, who was in the next seat, watched closely, observing everything he did and was nodding as he went into a tuck to do slow forward roll in the air. He extended his arms and legs to come out of it and reached out to take Adelina' hand, pulling himself toward his seat and down just in time to buckle up before gravity returned with a vengeance.

"They say that we reach a little over 2-Gs on pullout," he told her as the increase subsided and returned to normal. "That's why we have to make sure you're either strapped in or at least secured in the netting before it does. If not, you'll take a really bad fall and our day, and this movie, will be over."

She nodded, smiling. "I can do this."

"I know you can," he replied. Looking up to the others, he said, "Film crew to places! We need to be ready each time the pilot gets back to altitude."

The director, looking a little sick at his stomach, strapped himself into his chair on the set, as the others took their spots. As the plane started to level out from its climb, he looked at each member of his crew, looked at Adelina in her starting position, and finally nodded to Xander that they were ready. He hit the button to signal the pilot and moments later, two fixed cameras and the cameraman's portable unit were rolling as dive number one began and the beautiful Adelina Francini started floating for the first time.

She was breathing fast and shallow as Xander pulled her in tight as the gravity force increased. "Oh-my-God! Oh-my-God! That was incredible! So incredible!" she said. "I wanted to just squeal but didn't want to ruin the take!"

The director was frowning at her and launched into a rapid-fire delivery. She frowned back at him before stepping forward to the makeup, hair, and costume people in the forward section while the Beluga fought its way back up to over 35,000 feet. It was a few minutes later, shortly after her return, when the captain came on and said, "Time for Dip Number Two on Mr. Cage's mark.

Xander confirmed that all was in readiness and hit the button for the second take for the scene.

~xXx~

_Seventeen...eighteen...nineteen..._

Xander called cut and pitched out the net that allowed Adelina to grab and Xander to pull her back in to safety before the plane pulled out and she came slamming down on the forward padding or into one of the seats. She'd grabbed it and been reeled in every time for twenty-one takes, so it had become so commonplace that she was shocked when she missed it on Take Twenty-Two.

"Xander!" she called apprehensively. "Help!"

He was pulling the net back in but it was tangled and he knew there wasn't time to do it again, so he tossed the backup rope and watched as she caught it.

_Twenty-two...twenty-three..._

He pulled as hard and as fast as he could, getting her against the forward bulkhead just as the plane pulled out and they felt the added G force push them down. Adelina fell to the floor and moaned as she grabbed her ankle. Xander was to her a second later, holding her and trying to keep her from moving or falling to hurt herself any more. Grabbing onto him, she spoke several words in rapid Italian before switching to English. "I'm so sorry! That was so clumsy of me but you saved me! Xander, I could have been killed." She was fighting off tears as she buried her face in his chest.

Looking to the director as he held her close, Xander said, "Finito."

~xXx~


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

Xander entered the hangar on the outskirts of the Milan airport the next morning to see several trucks and workers carrying pieces of the new set onto the plane. Two large dumpsters were filled with the remains of the old set that had been removed after the plane landed.

He stepped to the side as two workers carried one of the pieces past him. As he did, he noticed that the module's construction was different than what had been specified. "Hey, wait as second," he said as he moved up to look at it more closely.

Instead of the light, C-type metal studs he was expecting, these were similar-sized closed tubes. Still, they had the holes needed for the modules to be erected and appeared to give the gypsum board more than adequate support. Looking at the front side, he saw the wallpaper pattern that had been discussed; it would cover up the joints and not require taping seams and painting like the set from Marseilles. Figuring it would work, he nodded and let them continue.

Seeing Luciano, Signore Paccone's assistant, he learned that the set installation would be complete by the afternoon and that they were on schedule for the return flight to Marseilles the next morning.

"Has anyone checked with Signorina Francini? She had a scare yesterday. Even if her ankle's not sprained, she's probably pretty sore this morning. She may need another day before she can film again."

Luciano looked concerned but said, "Mr. Paccone has emphasized to her the need to stay on schedule for this shoot. She used the contract against him earlier, so he's returning the favor and hanging it over her now. I don't like it any more than you do, but he seems certain and has promised that she'll be there. "

"Okay, if he says so."

Luciano shrugged in reply and turned back to two workers approaching with another section. He looked at the number on the back, checked it off his clipboard and was about to walk away when Xander tapped his arm.

"Say, what's the deal with those tubes instead of the metal studs we had specified?"

Luciano shook his head. "I'm not sure how he did it, but Signore Paccone got a great deal on them from a friend, less than the cost of the metal studs we had specified. He couldn't pass up the savings. After seeing the cost difference, I can't blame him. His friend supplying the tubes promised that they're as strong as or stronger than the ones originally specified, so there shouldn't be any problem with them."

"Sounds good," agreed Xander. He looked away for a moment and then went into the plane to watch them assemble the modules.

~xXx~

Eighteen takes into the second aerial shoot, Xander felt the director had enough footage and that he and the production team would be able to turn it into a decent finished product. Unfortunately, it wasn't a movie that he would ordinarily be interested in seeing even with his involvement, but with Adelina being the star, it was now a must see for him.

He put down the retrieval net and stepped over to speak with the director. "Finito?" he asked.

The man shook his head, rather adamantly, and spun his forefinger in the air as if to say "Again."

Xander bit his lip in frustration and turned back to see Adelina rubbing her ankle.

"Can you retape for me?" she asked sweetly. He nodded and grabbed the wrap and the tape. He was just finishing as the pilot came on to announce they were ready for Dip Number Nineteen at Xander's signal.

"Everyone ready?" he asked.

With nods all around, he hit the button to signal the pilot to begin the dive.

Adelina took her place and the cameras began rolling. Xander began his count and a moment later, her face lit up brightly in surprise as she started to float up off the ground. Her movements, practiced so many times, were quite natural, graceful even, and Xander's eyes were fixed upon her as his count continued.

At sixteen he reached down for the retrieval net only to realize that he hadn't picked it back up after the aborted discussion with the director. He called "Cut!" as he reached for the backup rope only to see that Adelina was slowly spinning away from him and wouldn't be able to see it.

_Nineteen...twenty..._

Realizing that there wasn't time for her to come around and catch the rope, he launched himself as hard as he could at the wall behind her. He pulled his knees forward, threw his arms back, and then extended his legs just as he was about to hit the wall. He felt the gypsum board break as one foot hit it, but the other foot landed almost right on one of the tubular support studs. Xander pushed off as hard as he could.

_Twenty-two...twenty-three..._

Shooting forward in the direction from which he'd just come, he grabbed Adelina and twisted around so he was between her and the forward bulkhead of the compartment. He hit and was able to get his legs down just as the force of gravity went from zero to two Gs as she slammed into him. He wrapped his arms around her and absorbed as much of the blow as he could to keep her from getting hurt. Still, she cried out, as much in surprise as pain, and then twisted around to hug him when normal gravity returned.

"It's okay, I'm okay. What happened?" she said as she hugged him, keeping most of her weight off of her already injured ankle.

"I'm so sorry. It was my fault," he said as he held her tight. "I was so concerned about making sure everyone else was ready, I didn't realize that I didn't have the net ready and at hand. Are you sure you're okay."

"Yes, but I think that's my last time."

Xander agreed and turned to tell the director, only to see the man wasn't strapped into his chair. Looking around, he saw the director standing next to the back wall of the set, looking at the hole Xander's foot had made in the surface. He was griping rapidly and pointing at the hole.

Going over to it, Xander looked at the spot and was surprised to see the wallpaper had ripped, exposing the hole. He pulled the paper away slightly when he saw white dust under it, and then looked at the broken edge of the gypsum board.

Rather than the typical solid section of gypsum between the heavy paper covering, this board had the paper and a thin layer of what appeared to be gypsum on each side with a white crystalline substance between them. The director touched it and then said, "Cocaina."

"Shit!" muttered Xander Cage. It all made sense now. Riccardo Paccone could make up his movie losses if he could smuggle a whole bunch of cocaine into France. Doing some quick estimating in his head, he figured that there must be almost a ton of the stuff concealed in the gypsum walls. At street value—

"No!"

Finding the toolbox, he pulled out a screwdriver and then went to the access panel on the back wall that allowed crew members to access the back of the plane if needed. Going behind the set, he looked at the lineup of hollow tubes. Dreading what he might find, he removed one of the bolts, took it out of the hole and then inserted the screwdriver. Instead of finding the tube hollow, found a sleeve through the member. Cursing under his breath once again, he used the screwdriver to pry against the sleeve. As he did, he damaged one of the welds. White powder started trickling out like sand through an hourglass.

"Is it really...cocaine?" asked Adelina, looking over his shoulder. The director and the others were standing there looking, too.

Xander nodded. "Paccone got a good deal on the studs because he agreed to use them to smuggle this stuff to France. If all of these are filled with this stuff, it could be two or maybe three tons."

The director said something, which Adelina quickly translated. "He's had run-ins with the French authorities before. They'll seize the plane and put all of us away, for years, even if we tell them we found it and didn't have anything to do with it. He says they'll never believe us."

Xander nodded. "Probably not. But I think I know someone who might." Looking at the director, he said, "Satellite phone? Telefono satellitare!"

The director nodded forcefully and almost ran to his chair and back. He handed the satellite phone to Xander, who started dialing a number.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," he said to Adelina. "Gibbons? Is that you? Good. This is Xander Cage. I really didn't want to make this call but I have something important for you."

~xXx~


	5. Epilogue

Epilogue:

Minutes later, the Beluga's pilot was directed to divert the plane to a French airbase near Marseilles. The Marseilles airport was shut down for several hours due to a gas leak.

The flight crew was upset because they were scheduled to fly on to Lisbon as soon as the set was removed from their plane. French authorities, in a moment of seemingly rare cooperation, agreed to help by sending a number of ground crew members aboard to help take down and remove the set. No one commented on the duct taped repairs on part of the drywall and on one of the support members. Everything was dumped into a couple of large dumpsters. These were hauled away on French military trucks even before the plane was refueled and could be on its way.

Those in the back of the plane were spoken to separately by French authorities posing as other ground crew members. Everyone was released with the understanding that they would reveal nothing about anything they might have seen. Everyone was sent on their way later that afternoon.

Two trucks from the Lagarde Sanitation company carrying dumpsters were turned away from the Marseilles airport late that afternoon due to the gas leak. They were told they would have to reschedule for the next day, but neither truck showed up and no one at the airport gave it a second thought. French authorities did, though, but when they searched for Lagarde Sanitation, they found no record of the company or its trucks. Two newly repainted dumpster haulers drew no attention on the streets of Marseilles. Within days, they had weathered to match most of the other trucks in the firm's fleet.

In Milan, Riccardo Paccone was heard screaming into the phone in his office late that evening. Seeing that he was quite upset and didn't seem to be calming down, the employees of R. Paccone Producciones slipped out of the office without telling him goodbye. Since it was a Friday evening and a holiday weekend at that, they hoped he would be back to his normal grouchy self by the following Tuesday.

Unfortunately, that was not to be. Paccone was tragically killed in a hit and run accident just two days later. Certain members of the Italian polizia investigating the accident felt it might not have been an accident after all. Some went so far as to speculate the Italian mob might have been involved due to certain rumors circulating in the underworld community about possible ties between Paccone and the mobsters. It was even rumored that Paccone had welshed on a deal leading to his death, but nothing was ever proven about that or even the possible connection.

With Paccone out of the picture and his firm's credit well beyond its limit, the firm was shut down by the bankruptcy court. Since it was considered an untapped asset, the Italian court allowed the director to use a small part of Paccone's life insurance policy to complete the film and release it under an independent label. It received generally good reviews from critics, particularly on the performance of Signorina Adelina Francini and the incredibly realistic CGI used in the movie (despite the fact that no CGI firm was listed in the credits), but the plot was seen as stilted and tired despite its attempt at originality. Fortunately, a renowned Mexican director later praised it as one of the many inspirations for his later, much more successful film, so it did fairly well on rentals and DVD sales.

~xXx~

"Xander, can't you stay another night or two?"

"Adelina, they're expecting me in Rio. It's a chance for some work as well as that event I was telling you about." He'd received two-thirds of his pay for the just-completed job, but had never received payment for the last part. With R. Paccone Producciones and the Paccone Compagnias shut down and in bankruptcy court, there was little chance he'd ever see the last part so he needed to move on to new jobs and new adventures.

She nodded, understanding.

"What about you?" he asked. "What are you doing next?"

"I don't know. My contract with Paccone Producciones runs for two more films. The court is going to have to sort it all out. I've instructed my attorney to ask for an emergency injunction against enforcement of the contract. He says that will allow me to look for new work, but he's warned that it's going to be weeks or maybe even months before that goes anywhere."

"So you're saying you have some time off?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Ever been to Rio?"

_The End_

* * *

**_Author's Note:_**

_Thanks for reading. Your feedback in the form of any reviews, comments, follows, or favorites will be greatly appreciated, too._

_I really enjoyed the first xXx movie, the second not so much, and I haven't seen the third. Therefore, any errors in interpretation of the original xXx movie are purely my fault. I'm not completely sure but I believe a lightly loaded Airbus A300-600ST actually flying fast enough to perform zero-G dips may also be a figment of my imagination._

_Finally, the inspirations for this story came from the challenge of a girl floating on air reading in a story challenge at Caesar's Palace forum in 2018, catching the opening of Barbarella on TV late one night, and stumbling across a video of Kate Upton doing zero-G on a 727._


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